E.J. Dionne on the complexities of Catholic views on HHS mandate

Tom Roberts
|
Feb. 13, 2012
NCR Today

Columnist E.J. Dionne, in today's Washington Post[1], provides a lucid explanation of why a lot of liberal Catholics lined up to criticize the narrow Health and Human Services religious exception on covering contraceptives. And he explains why so many liberals stay put in a denomination with which they might have major disagreements on some issues.

In part, he writes: "Those of us who are liberal Catholics have remained in the church for reasons beyond tribal loyalties or a desire to honor the traditions of our parents and grandparents. At the heart of the love many of us have for the church — despite our frustrations over its abysmal handling of the pedophilia scandal and its reluctance to grant women the rights they are due — is a profound respect for the fact on so many questions that count, Catholicism walks its talk and harnesses its faith to the good works the Gospel demands."